Empanadas, an Argentine Classic

Ordering empanadas in Argentina is like ordering a pizza in the US. They come in all sorts of flavours, are ready fast, and serve as the perfect comfort food.

In Argentina, empanada empresas abound. There’s a place on just about every corner where you can order empanadas. Unfortunately, in the US, we don’t have that luxury. So, I bring to you this relatively quick and easy recipe to make empanadas in the comfort of your own home.

In Texas, you can easily find empanada dough discs at your local groceries. We buy the brand Goya. We prefer the dough made for baking. They also sell one made for frying if you want to try frying your empanadas. Do not use the frying dough for baking or vice versa. They won’t turn out well. If you can’t find premade dough in your supermarket, you can make your own.

Tips:

• Don’t overfill: Too much filling will make it very difficult to seal your empandas. It often leads to a hole in your dough, and leakage while baking.
• Use a fork: If you are struggling to seal your empandas, use a fork and press down along the edges for an easy, foolproof method.
• Enlist Help! The more hands filling and folding, the quicker these come together! It makes for a great family meal prep idea.
• Extra time: The first time you try making these, give yourself extra time. Learning how much filling to add, how to seal them and fold them is a curve, and it may take more time than you expect the first few times.

Fillings:

• Ham and Cheese– Wrap a slice of ham around your favourite shredded cheese. You can add olives if you like.
• Cheese and Onion– Caramelize thinly sliced onions. Add salt, pepper, and a drizzle of honey and balsalmic vinegar. Fill empanadas with a spoonful of onions and shredded cheese.
• Savory Ground Beef– Saute diced onion until soft and translucent. Add ground beef, breaking apart and stirring until browned. Add minced garlic. Saute for one minute. Add salt, pepper, and oregano. Optionally add diced boiled potato or hard boiled egg.
• Sweet Ground Beef– Saute diced onion until soft and translucent. Add ground beef, breaking apart and stirring until browned. Sprinkle a handful of sugar over the ground beef. Remove from heat. Stir, add raisins. Use as filling.
• Corn– Saute corn with diced onion. Add a dollop of cream cheese, a handful of shredded cheese, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Use as filling.
• Pulled Pork– This recipe makes a great, flavorful pulled pork. Shred it and use for filling as is, or add a little barbecue if you like.
• Chicken– Shred or cube cooked chicken, saute an onion and diced bell pepper, add cumin and smoked paprika. Mix it all together. Use as filling. This recipe is great if you want more detailed instructions.
• Spinach– Saute spinach until begins to wilt. Add minced garlic and cook one minute. Add a tablespoon of butter and 3 Tablespoons of flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until a thick roux forms and you no longer smell raw flour. Slowly pour in one cup of milk, whisking constantly. Whisk in 1/2 cup to 1 cup shredded cheese.
• Mushroom– Saute sliced mushrooms with minced garlic, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Add 1Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp flour. Stir constantly until a roux forms, about 1 minute. Slowly pour in a bit of broth, cream, or wine (about 1/4 cup). Cook until the sauce thickens. Use as filling. You can optionally add shredded cheese.

To any filling, you can add diced hard boiled eggs, sliced olives, or raisins. These are all very commonly found in Argentine empanadas.

Give them a try and let me know what you think in the comments below!

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